Moppel
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- United States
So, I went on a shopping spree yesterday and got the first 20 gallon tank set up last night. I'm not sure in which category to put this post, since it's kinda several categories in one. Please feel free to move it if it should be somewhere else.
Okay, so I got an undertank heater, which is on the left side of the tank. I put a thin layer of calcium repti sand on the bottom of the tank (not sure how thick that layer should be?), then covered it with slate. I put the main hide on the left, in the warm area, like we had before, water dish on the right, cool side. I put a dish with pure calcium next to the house, and a mealworm dish with giant mealworms dusted with Repashy Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus in the front of the tank. Then I added a tunnel, a plant, and Masterchief's beloved log. I switched from moss to coconut fiber for the moist hide, which is not in the pic because the coco fiber is in the kitchen soaking up water. It's going to go in that empty spot behind the log.
The background was too small, I thought we had enough left from the other tank, but nope. So, I'm going to have to get another one today to cover the sides of the tank.
We miscalculated the slate, that's why there is a small strip of carpet on the right, cool side. We're going to get a circular saw in a bit and then cut some slate to size and take out the carpet.
Our reptile guy is out of Dubias and has no idea when he'll get more in because he is switching suppliers. Nobody else around here sells them (I got a very disgusted look from the Pet smart chick when I mentioned "roaches"), so I ordered some off the internet, along with some roach feed. It's going to be up to two weeks before I get them though. I ordered small ones. Is that okay?
I also couldn't find one of those laser gun thermometer thingies around here, so I ordered one from Amazon, with one day shipping. But thanks to it being Friday evening last night, it won't be here until Monday. That's why that other thermometer is laying on the slate. It shows 85 degrees. Is that okay?
I also went to Big R and bought those chicken crumbles. They had so many different ones, does it matter which one?
I went to Barnes & Noble to look for that next generation book. They didn't have it and couldn't find it in their system either. So they assumed it's an old book and recommended ebay. I went home and checked Amazon, and they have it, but when I looked at the reviews it seems that book is geared more towards breeders and identifying different morphs. Is that correct? That book is $35, so I don't want to waste that if it's not really for newbies like me.
Alright, am I missing something? Does that all look/sound good now? I want the little guy/girl to be happy and healthy.
The other tank is not set up yet since we need to get that saw first, for the slate.
Masterchief seemed to enjoy the new tank when I transferred him last night. He was also walking with his belly really close to the ground on the warm side. I guess he really enjoyed the belly heat. Now he's snoozing under the log, his absolute favorite spot. He never hides to sleep. He didn't eat any of the mealworms last night though. He had fun staring at them from different angles, and "attacked" twice (that I saw), but didn't actually get any. Do I need to worry about that? He's only 38g as is. I really want him to gain some weight. He doesn't look terribly underweight to me, but he's just tiny compared to the chunky 52g female.
Also, without the uv lamp it's not very bright in the tank now, is that okay? I mean, regular daylight, but I'm so used to the bright uv lamp light.
Okay, lastly, is there a better way to make a moist hide than a tupperware? It just doesn't fit in visually, at all. But I can't find any hides with bottoms at stores. Also, does the location of the tank matter? Are there any no-no locations? And, last question, from what I've read, there should be several hides in there, but there's just not enough room. It's a 20 gallon long tank. The inside is 29 in x 11 3/4 in. Does it matter anyway, since Masterchief never uses them anyway?
And here's the pics:
edited to add: Those rings in front of the tank are not cigarette burns, nobody smokes here! They are from the rubber feet on our old tv that used to sit there. I don't know why that left such marks.
Okay, so I got an undertank heater, which is on the left side of the tank. I put a thin layer of calcium repti sand on the bottom of the tank (not sure how thick that layer should be?), then covered it with slate. I put the main hide on the left, in the warm area, like we had before, water dish on the right, cool side. I put a dish with pure calcium next to the house, and a mealworm dish with giant mealworms dusted with Repashy Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus in the front of the tank. Then I added a tunnel, a plant, and Masterchief's beloved log. I switched from moss to coconut fiber for the moist hide, which is not in the pic because the coco fiber is in the kitchen soaking up water. It's going to go in that empty spot behind the log.
The background was too small, I thought we had enough left from the other tank, but nope. So, I'm going to have to get another one today to cover the sides of the tank.
We miscalculated the slate, that's why there is a small strip of carpet on the right, cool side. We're going to get a circular saw in a bit and then cut some slate to size and take out the carpet.
Our reptile guy is out of Dubias and has no idea when he'll get more in because he is switching suppliers. Nobody else around here sells them (I got a very disgusted look from the Pet smart chick when I mentioned "roaches"), so I ordered some off the internet, along with some roach feed. It's going to be up to two weeks before I get them though. I ordered small ones. Is that okay?
I also couldn't find one of those laser gun thermometer thingies around here, so I ordered one from Amazon, with one day shipping. But thanks to it being Friday evening last night, it won't be here until Monday. That's why that other thermometer is laying on the slate. It shows 85 degrees. Is that okay?
I also went to Big R and bought those chicken crumbles. They had so many different ones, does it matter which one?
I went to Barnes & Noble to look for that next generation book. They didn't have it and couldn't find it in their system either. So they assumed it's an old book and recommended ebay. I went home and checked Amazon, and they have it, but when I looked at the reviews it seems that book is geared more towards breeders and identifying different morphs. Is that correct? That book is $35, so I don't want to waste that if it's not really for newbies like me.
Alright, am I missing something? Does that all look/sound good now? I want the little guy/girl to be happy and healthy.
The other tank is not set up yet since we need to get that saw first, for the slate.
Masterchief seemed to enjoy the new tank when I transferred him last night. He was also walking with his belly really close to the ground on the warm side. I guess he really enjoyed the belly heat. Now he's snoozing under the log, his absolute favorite spot. He never hides to sleep. He didn't eat any of the mealworms last night though. He had fun staring at them from different angles, and "attacked" twice (that I saw), but didn't actually get any. Do I need to worry about that? He's only 38g as is. I really want him to gain some weight. He doesn't look terribly underweight to me, but he's just tiny compared to the chunky 52g female.
Also, without the uv lamp it's not very bright in the tank now, is that okay? I mean, regular daylight, but I'm so used to the bright uv lamp light.
Okay, lastly, is there a better way to make a moist hide than a tupperware? It just doesn't fit in visually, at all. But I can't find any hides with bottoms at stores. Also, does the location of the tank matter? Are there any no-no locations? And, last question, from what I've read, there should be several hides in there, but there's just not enough room. It's a 20 gallon long tank. The inside is 29 in x 11 3/4 in. Does it matter anyway, since Masterchief never uses them anyway?
And here's the pics:
edited to add: Those rings in front of the tank are not cigarette burns, nobody smokes here! They are from the rubber feet on our old tv that used to sit there. I don't know why that left such marks.
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